


Get Your Kicks on Route 66

by PastelRaccoon



Category: citrus - サブロウタ | citrus - Saburouta
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Road Trip, Author Is Sleep Deprived, F/F, Light Angst, Like. Very light, Not Beta Read, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Break Up, Rating May Change, Road Trips
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-21
Updated: 2020-06-27
Packaged: 2021-02-23 10:00:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23776441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PastelRaccoon/pseuds/PastelRaccoon
Summary: After Mei breaks up with Yuzu, Yuzu is left heartbroken at the thought of no longer being with her. Yet after meeting up with Harumi to cheer herself up, she gets a brilliant idea. What better way to forget her ex than a long road trip with her best friend?
Relationships: Aihara Yuzu/Taniguchi Harumi
Comments: 16
Kudos: 37





	1. California

The bright lights of the city of Los Angeles flickered in front of Yuzu from her small apartment’s bedroom window. She had to stand on her toes just a bit to be able to see outside, but she never got tired of seeing those lights twinkle. She could remember when she moved here only a few years ago, having to deal with not knowing a single person in that bustling town until she started going to a private school. Her mother mentioned it wouldn’t be all bad, and she was right. Yuzu got to make some of the best friends she’s ever had and she even met her wonderful girlfriend there.

Ever since they graduated, they moved in together into a modest apartment. It wasn’t much, but it was enough for them. Yuzu hummed while counting the streetlights until Mei’s voice pulled her from her relaxed thoughts.

“Yuzu, would you come here? I want to talk to you about something.”

“Comin’!” Yuzu turned from the window and slipped out of the bedroom to enter the rest of the apartment. 

A tiny kitchen connected to the equally small living room. Sitting on the couch that took up most of that space was Mei. As usual, Yuzu couldn’t read her expression, but the air in the room felt stifling under Mei’s gaze that felt even more cold and stern. She gulped in an attempt to control her nerves with little success. Without a word, Mei patted the empty cushion next to her. Yuzu slowly inhaled to steady herself then sat down next to her. She sat cross legged in her seat then shifted so she could sit sideways to face her.

“You look intense; even more so than usual. What’s wrong?” Yuzu tilted her head. She noticed Mei’s jaw tense ever-so slightly before she rested a hand on Yuzu’s knee.

“I know this may hurt, but…” Mei took a deep breath. “I think we should break up.”

“What?”

Yuzu could only stare in disbelief at what she just heard. It felt like the air in her lungs got squeezed out all at once. Her hands clutched the hem of her shorts as she kept her eyes locked onto Mei’s face. Her soon-to-be ex sat on the other end of the couch wearing her usual neutral expression, eyes closed. Slowly, she opened her eyes and those familiar violet irises pierced through her, chilling her to the bone. That warm light Yuzu got so accustomed to seeing had been replaced with cold, unfeeling ice. A sigh caused the dark haired girl’s shoulders to slump forward.

“I know you heard me. You can’t hide from the truth,” Mei frowned. She cleared her throat then squared away her shoulders. “I think we shouldn’t see each other anymore. It’s over Yuzu.”

“But why? Did I do something wrong?”

“No, not at all. I simply don’t think we’re really a good match.”

Mei crossed her legs at the knee, and the motion made her come off far more serious. Tears pricked at the corners of Yuzu’s eyes, but she choked them down with a hard swallow. She finally pulled her eyes away to stare hard at her clenched fists in her lap. Tremors shook her body and she knew she couldn’t change Mei’s mind. Once she’s decided on something, she sticks with it. Either way, it didn’t soften the blow.

Swallowing again, Yuzu mumbled, “I understand. I won’t bother you about it.”

“Yuzu-”

“No, you’re right. Maybe it is better if we split.” A bittersweet smile formed on Yuzu’s lips. “After all, we only seem to argue over little misunderstandings; we don’t tend to talk things out. I’ll get my things together and be out in the morning.”

“...Okay.”

* * *

“Wait, you’re kidding me, right?” Harumi leaned back in her seat until the front legs were lifted off the ground. Yuzu called her once she packed up her car that morning following their breakup. She couldn’t remember all that much from that morning other than her sobbing inside her car on the ride up to her usual cafe. Honestly, she hadn’t stopped crying since then and she knew she looked like a complete mess because of it. Yuzu sniffled once more then shook her head.

“No, I’m not. I wish I was though,” Yuzu croaked. “And it kinda hurt, y’know? She didn’t even say goodbye when I left. She just sorta stared as I drove away, but that’s nothing new really… She never was one to show emotions.”

“What a bitch,” Harumi spat out without even trying to hide a single drop of the venom in her voice. She grabbed her drink, crossed her arms over her chest, then took the straw between her lips. After taking a long sip, she frowned across the table. “After everything you did to prove yourself to her in high school? This is bullshit.”

“But she had a point too, Harumin. We really did argue over little things that could have been solved just by talking it out.”

Yuzu let out a sigh when she slid down in her chair. She stretched her legs out under the table, bumped against Harumi’s feet, then ran a manicured finger along the rim of her glass. Her other hand rubbed at a red, puffy eye to dry the few tears that still clung to her eyelashes. She watched Harumi’s frown deepen before she tilted herself forward so her chair clattered back down onto the sidewalk.

The loud bang spooked Yuzu back into sitting properly. Her eyes went wide when she stared at her friend. Harumi slammed her hands down onto the table’s surface. Her sour expression stayed firmly on her face when she leaned in closer.

“Yuzu, I hate seeing you like this! You need to cheer up! Fuck her! Live your own life!” Harumi seemed to ignore the few looks she got when she raised her voice. In a way, Yuzu admired that. “Do something for yourself for once!”

Yuzu chewed on the corner of her lip. While her words stung a bit, she had to admit that Harumi also had a point. She can’t always sit around and mope about losing Mei. Determination rushed through her and gave her a sudden burst of energy. Yuzu shot to her feet while grinning ear to ear.

“Y’know what?” Yuzu mimicked Harumi’s actions by banging her palms onto the table as well. Their glasses clattered against each other, and the other patrons shot a few more confused glances their way. “You’re totally right! I gotta do something to get my mind off of it! But what though…”

Once she realized that, her liveliness quickly drained away. She dropped back into her chair with a thud and yet another sigh. She threw her arms over the back of her chair then tipped her head back. Yuzu’s eyes flicked around as she took in the sights upside down.

A woman in rather flashy clothing waited at a stoplight to cross the road; that wasn’t exactly an uncommon sight since they were in the heart of Los Angeles. A man walked past with a phone glued to his ear and his boisterous voice clearly rang out over the racket of traffic. Finally, Yuzu’s gaze fell on a rather small, unassuming stand. It mostly sold magazines, newspapers, and even a few trinkets for tourists. Yet that wasn’t what caught Yuzu’s attention.

On the stand’s one side were various maps. Some for the city itself, tour guide maps, then state maps beneath that. Yet the very top proudly displayed an ad and maps for the famous Route 66. A light bulb flared to life inside her head. Yuzu’s face lit up with a wide grin when she sprung forward, nearly falling out of her chair.

“I think I got an idea for what I could do! Actually, for what _we_ can do!”

“That’s more like it!” Harumi’s eyebrows knit together in confusion. “Wait… _We?”_

“Yeah! Hold on, it’ll be easier to explain if I just get one.” Yuzu scrambled out of her seat to pull her wallet from the back pocket of her shorts. She ran up to the stand, cheerily talked to the old man running it, then came running back with a folded piece of paper in her hand. She slapped the map down in front of her then said, “A road trip! Just you, me, and the entirety of Route 66! What do you say?”

“I dunno Yuzucchi… That’s almost an entire cross-country trip.”

“I’ll let you have control over the aux.” Yuzu pouted and fluttered her eyelashes in Harumi’s direction. It was only a matter of time before the brunette chuckled. Harumi ran a hand through her hair then beamed.

“...Screw it. I’m in.”

* * *

Yuzu had her phone sandwiched between her ear and her shoulder. She’d been waiting for her mom, Ume, to pick up as she double checked her belongings. Harumi was nice enough to let her stay the night before they set out on their long journey. She made sure she had all her clothes, makeup, toiletries, and the like before giving herself an approving nod. She grunted as she tried to zip it back up to no avail. Yuzu waved over Harumi to press it closed so she could finish repacking. As the two fought with the luggage, she heard her mother pick up.

“Hey, mom, I just wanted to let you know I won’t be in the state for a while.” Yuzu excitedly explained without letting her get a word in. A slight grunt broke up her words when she finally wrestled the zipper shut.

“Well, good morning to you too! Wait…” Ume went silent for a moment. “What, why are you leaving? Are you visiting a friend or something?”

“Not exactly... This is a trip for myself so I can get away for awhile. You know, relax a little.”

“Did something happen?”

Yuzu suddenly stopped. That familiar piercing pain shot through her chest again. She choked down the lump that started up in her throat so she wouldn’t start crying over the phone.

“Yeah, uh, Mei… Mei broke up with me.”

“Oh, Yuzu, sweetie. I’m so sorry that happened to you!”

“I’ll be fine mom. Harumi’s got my back, right?” Yuzu forced a small smile when she looked at her friend, still leaning against her suitcase. She returned the smile and Yuzu wouldn’t lie, it did make her feel at least a little better. Harumi leaned in so she could yell into the phone.

“That’s right! You don’t have to worry about a thing! I’ll be with her every step of the way.”

“Well, alright. You two be safe then, you hear?”

“Of course mom. Love you!”

“Love you too. You two have fun!”

The line beeped in her ear and she slipped her phone back into her pocket once she was sure the other hung up. Yuzu planted her hands on her hips. Everything seemed to be going smoothly; she had a good amount of money saved up from her job, so gas and lodging shouldn’t be an issue. She already called her job and said she was leaving for a while as well. Her car, while a little beat up, somehow had enough room for both of their belongings.

“Is there anything you think I’m forgetting?” Yuzu paused. “Do you think I should tell Mei too?”

“Nah; this is so you can _forget_ her. So what does it matter if she knows where you are?” Harumi huffed and pushed Yuzu’s suitcase off the bed and onto the floor. It landed with a heavy thud in front of Yuzu’s feet. Harumi stretched out across the bed, propped her head up in one of her hands, and looked up at Yuzu. “I know it’s gonna be hard since you were with her since high school, but it’ll work out.”

“I know, I know. Thanks Harumi.” Yuzu finally gave her a warm, genuine smile. “I knew I could count on you to make me feel better.”

“What are friends for, eh?” Harumi laughed. She slid off the mattress with a grunt to get back on her feet. “I gotta finish packing too, then we’re off on the open road!”

* * *

Yuzu threw open the trunk to her slightly beat up sedan. The trunk had a few miscellaneous items already inside; a car jack, jumper cables, and an emergency med-kit being the most notable pieces. She shoved them to the side so she could slide both of their suitcases into the vehicle. Stretching up to grab the trunk, she slammed it shut with a clunk. Yuzu placed one hand on her hips, wiped the back of her other hand against her forehead, and gave a satisfied nod.

“All packed up Harumin! Are you ready for this?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be!” Harumi pushed off the passenger side of her car with an ecstatic grin. She stepped up to Yuzu and threw an arm over her shoulders to pull her close. “As skeptical as I was at first, I think this is gonna end up being a lot of fun, Yuzucchi.”

“You know it! Who needs Mei?” Yuzu felt her throat reflexively tighten at remembering her, but she did her best to shove it down. Her hands suddenly felt clammy as she dug her hand into her pocket to both find her keys and shove aside those intrusive thoughts. She wouldn’t let Mei ruin her time with Harumi. Yuzu tossed her keys into the air only to catch them and spin them around on her finger. “Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s get this show on the road!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A huge shout out to the Lit Club in the Yuri Garden Discord for the inspiration for this! I already have a lot of plans for this and can't wait to keep working on it uwu  
>  ~~Hopefully my writer's block that I've been struggling with for everything I've been working on won't rear its ugly head on this too ;;;;~~


	2. Arizona

The low hum of the car traveling down the somewhat busy stretch of road was the only sound aside from the music Harumi had turned on. An auxiliary cord ran from the outlet in Yuzu’s car to the top of Harumi’s phone. The brunette sunk down deeper into her seat with a creak then propped her feet onto the dashboard in front of her. With an uncomfortable groan, she pressed a finger against the button on her door to lower her window. A rush of cooling air invaded the vehicle.

“Yuzucchi,” Harumi whined as she hooked a finger into the collar of her shirt to let some of the slightly cooler air hit her skin. “Why did you never fix your air conditioner? It’s too hot!”

“I’m sorry; I just never found the time.” Yuzu frowned with her eyes still locked onto the road in front of her.

“Hm, too busy with Mei?”

“You know it wasn’t like that.”

Yuzu shot a quick side glance at Harumi when she felt her face start to burn from embarrassment. Harumi wasn’t even looking in her direction anymore. A small, displeased frown could barely be seen on her lips. She propped her elbow against the door and leaned her head against her knuckles to stare out the window at the passing scenery. Yuzu let out a relieved sigh, thankful that she didn’t seem to catch her all flustered. She cleared her throat to break the tension that had formed.

“H-Hey, why don’t you check the map? See if there’s anything interesting coming up soon,” Yuzu grinned while tapping her fingernails against the steering wheel to the cheerful song coming through the speakers. “We could use a break to stretch our legs. Plus, I’m gettin’ kinda hungry.”

“Yeah, me too.” Harumi grunted when she sat up properly in her seat to open the glove box in front of her. She stuck her hand in to rustle around the few papers inside and retrieve the map. She rolled up her window most of the way so it wouldn’t blow out of her hands. “Let’s see here.”

Harumi smoothed out the paper on the dash then ran a finger along the length of the route. She tapped the end of her finger on one of the many numbered dots. She moved to check one of the other pamphlets the man at the booth had sold Yuzu that was specifically for Arizona. It took her a moment to find it among the ones for the other states.

“Jesus, you have too many pamphlets in here! Why couldn’t we just use our phones?” Harumi complained while opening the Arizona guide.

“Because it’s not the same Harumin!” Yuzu pouted. “You _have_ to use actual maps when on a road trip! It’s like an unwritten rule!”

“But it’s inconvenient!”

“C’mon; y’know you’re having fun with it though.” Yuzu briefly turned her head to grin at her then hurried to look back at the road.

“Yeah, yeah,” Harumi heaved a sigh before letting out a chuckle. “Anyway, I think I know where we can stop.”

“Yeah? Where?”

“Look for a sign that says Oatman. That sounds like the perfect place for our first visit on our trip.”

* * *

Yuzu turned into the dusty road that led into the town of Oatman. After she parked her car, she climbed out and stretched her arms high above her head. A relieved groan came from her when the soreness from sitting for so long melted away. It wasn’t until after her stretches did she notice the buildings around them.

It reminded her a lot of an old western movie. Wooden buildings with well worn signs lined the street. She could even make out a sign that read “Oatman Jail” somewhat in the distance. However, what really sold her was the fact that there were donkeys simply roaming free in the street and in front of the various establishments.

“Donkeys?” Yuzu raised an eyebrow.

“That’s right. I thought you’d wanna see something you’ve probably never seen before.” Harumi grinned as she joined Yuzu.

“Hm… You think I’d be able to pet one?”

“They seem calm enough. I don’t think it’d hurt to try.”

Yuzu crossed her arms as she looked out over the dusty streets. A small group of the animals were crowded together at the corner of a small souvenir shop. A particularly little one lagged behind them on the opposite site of the road. Straightening her shoulders, Yuzu slowly started to approach the single donkey. Meanwhile, Harumi stayed by the car and leaned against the bumper to watch.

Yuzu stretched out her hand towards the equine once she thought she was close enough. It looked up at her, flicked its ears in her direction, then lowered its snout to sniff at her palm. Once Yuzu thought it was comfortable enough with her, she carefully moved to pet the end of its nose. The donkey didn’t really react except for lowering its head just a bit more when Yuzu slid her hand up to between its ears. A large smile stretched across her face before she turned to look at Harumi. Her eyes sparkled with excitement as she waved back at the car.

“Harumi! I did it!” Yuzu returned her attention to the donkey as she gave it a final scratch behind its ears. She heard a bit of laughter approach her, and before long Harumi was at her side.

“Glad you enjoyed yourself. But that’s not the only reason we’re here. We were gonna get something to eat too, remember?”

“Oh, yeah! I completely forgot!”

“C’mon then. Let’s go.”

Yuzu gave one final pat to the donkey before turning to follow Harumi through the town. It really did feel like she stepped back in time, but it surprisingly fascinated her with its charm. A few other places stuck out to her, such as a saloon, but she didn’t have much time to look around as Harumi stopped in front of a slightly weathered building. The large hanging sign above the doorway swayed back and forth in the breeze. It simply read “Oatman Hotel.”

Pushing open the door, Yuzu immediately noticed the walls lined end to end with dollar bills stapled to its surface. Each one seemed to have something written on it in permanent marker; everything from names, to quotes, to even just a year. She slowly turned around in a circle to look at as many of the bills as she could. Although, a sudden, searing stab of jealousy shot through her though when she noticed the ones of lovers commemorating their visit. Nausea began to creep up on her and made her throat tighten. She shook her head then turned back to Harumi so they could sit down and order. She couldn’t keep dwelling on the past, and she was going to enjoy her time if it was the last thing she’d do.

* * *

Yuzu eased back against the bench of the booth they were seated at as she pushed away her empty plate. She felt relieved at being able to stretch out from the long car ride and get some food in her stomach. She looked over the table to see Harumi finishing her meal not long after herself. Wiping her hands on the supplied paper napkin, Yuzu watched as Harumi started to rummage around in her bag.

“There’s one more thing I wanna do while we’re here.” She mentioned as she continued to search her belongings.

“And that’d be?”

“Simple.” Harumi pulled out her wallet and removed a single dollar bill from inside. “You’ve seen enough of them to realize what I want to do.”

Harumi searched her bag one more time before finding a marker deep at the bottom. She scribbled something down on the bill before sliding both across the table. Yuzu picked up the pen and noticed she wrote her own name then “and.” She figured Harumi wanted her to write her name afterwards, so Yuzu did just that then passed it back over.

However, Harumi smiled then started to scrawl something else beneath it. The marker squeaked quietly against the money, but her handwriting was still clean and clear. With a sense of finality, Harumi placed the cap back onto the pen, tossed it back into her bag, then placed the dollar right between them.

“What do you think?”

Yuzu leaned in to read what Harumi added on. All together it now read “Harumi and Yuzu’s ‘Forget her!’ Tour.” A large smile pulled at her lips from the words. A sense of relief washed over her and it almost made her want to cry.

“It looks perfect.”

“I think you should have the honor of stapling it to the wall though.” Harumi’s smile brightened when she reached over to grab the staple gun at their table that was provided by the staff. She held it out towards Yuzu until she took it from her hands.

Her eyes scanned its surface until she found an empty enough space. She pressed the money against her chosen spot then began to staple it down. Each solid thunk from the device carried with it a sense of finality. No more chasing after a girl that didn’t seem to want to put in any effort. She was now free to find her own path. Simply stapling a dollar to a wall turned out to be more empowering than she expected.

“Thanks Harumi,” Yuzu started while placing the stapler back in its proper place. “I think I’ll finally be able to start really enjoying the trip.”

“Don’t mention it. Besides, this whole thing is supposed to help make you feel better.” Harumi let out a lighthearted laugh before she turned to slide out of the booth. “I’ll pay for this one. You go on to the car and I’ll be there soon.”

Yuzu nodded then stood from her own seat. Shoving her hands deep into her pockets, she let out a sigh. On one hand, she was glad to have that burden off her shoulders. But on the other, she wasn’t sure if she was truly over Mei. An aggravated groan sounded in the back of her throat when she left the building.

_I’m not gonna let her get to me anymore. I refuse!_ Yuzu thought as she unlocked the doors to her car. _I’m leaving any regrets I have here in Arizona. No more moping around and no more dwelling. I’m gonna make this the best road trip yet! Just you wait!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh, still kinda struggling with that writer's block and some personal matters, so I do apologize if this came off a bit stilted. I'm trying to ease back into writing more often and it's proving to be more difficult that I anticipated ;;;


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